Storm moves on, but problems persist in its wake

The rain finally stopped, after dumping nearly 10 inches and swamping roads, cars and neighborhoods. Two schools in Quincy and Fontbonne Academy in Milton are closed on Tuesday. Gov. Deval Patrick declared a state of emergency to make federal help available for the cleanup. The MWRA dumped nearly 15 million gallons o...

By JOHN KELLY

The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA

By JOHN KELLY

Posted Mar. 16, 2010 at 12:01 AM
Updated Mar 16, 2010 at 4:09 PM

By JOHN KELLY

Posted Mar. 16, 2010 at 12:01 AM
Updated Mar 16, 2010 at 4:09 PM

» Social News

The rain finally stopped, after dumping nearly 10 inches and swamping roads, cars and neighborhoods over three days.

Atlantic Middle School and Charles Bernazzani Elementary School in Quincy and Fontbonne Academy in Milton are closed on Tuesday. Gov. Deval Patrick declared a state of emergency to make federal help available for the cleanup.

The Monatiquot River in Braintree breached its banks early Monday night, forcing the evacuation of six homes on Kensington Street. Firefighters in boats rescued 13 people shortly before 7 p.m. The water was 3- to 4-feet deep in the neighborhood, Braintree fire officials said. No one was injured.

The MWRA dumped approximately 14.5 million gallons of untreated sewage into Quincy Bay on Monday as the unrelenting rain storm threatened to back up the sewerage system and flood Houghs Neck.

"We're not out of the woods yet," spokeswoman Ria Convery said at 6 p.m.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency has a hotline for those affected by flooding. Call 2-1-1.

Tell us how the storm affected you or your neighborhood. Send a message or photos to newsroom@ledger.com.

The first "controlled bypass" was conducted about 1:30 p.m. for half an hour, releasing an estimated 8 million gallons of raw sewage and rain water from an outflow half a mile offshore. A second bypass took place from 3:50 p.m. to 4:10 p.m., dumping an additional 6.5 million gallons, Convery said.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence – a 25- to 50-year storm,” said MWRA Executive Director Frederick Laskey. “This is the storm from hell.”

Laskey said the agency’s permits allow for such a “controlled release” in dire circumstances that threaten widespread backups. He said workers waited until the sewage at the Nut Island plant started to back up over the floorboards.

“If it had continued to rise, it would have destroyed the station,” Laskey said.

A second bypass may is likely to be necessary tonight if flow volume does not subside.

The sewer system runs from Framingham to Quincy, where the Nut Island plant partially filters the waste before pumping it beneath the harbor to the Deer Island treatment plans.

“Obviously it’s unfortunate. The general feeling of the city is it’s better to do what they did than have it back up into people’s home,” Chris Walker, a spokesman for Mayor Thomas Koch, said.

Nut Island has a daily capacity of 400 million gallons.

Laskey said the state Department of Environmental Protection and the federal Environmental Protection Agency has been notified.

Page 2 of 3 - “The strategy is to protect the homes and neighborhoods and to protect the station,” he said, adding, “This is in the best interest of the public health and the environment.”

The storm flooded basements and highways, and knocked down trees and power lines throughout the state. In the afternoon, Gov. Deval Patrick declared a state of emergency in response to the widespread damage and destruction. With the declaration, Gov. Patrick can mobilize National Guard units and have more options for receiving federal aid and dispersing assistance to communities around the state.

The storm hit hard locally. Furnace Brook Parkway in Quincy, for instance, was closed because of flooding.

Quincy firefighters rescued a woman from her car after she drove into a flooded parking garage in an apartment complex at 40 Willard St. And at least a dozen homes in West Quincy were evacuated Sunday because of flooding.

“We used boats to get eight people out of two houses on Sheldon Street. There was at least 5 feet of water. One guy told us that his cellar stairs floated as the water rose toward the first floor,” Deputy Fire Chief Paul Griffith said.

As of 6 a.m. today, the storm had dumped 5.95 inches of rain on the South Shore, according to the Blue Hill Observatory in Milton. A wind gust of 50 mph was recorded at 1:43 this morning. The National Weather Service had a strong wind advisory in effect until 8 p.m. today and a coastal flood warning until 2 p.m.

The flooding shut down major roads across the region.

A stretch of Interstate 93 northbound was flooded at Furnace Brook Parkway, forcing crews to close down all but one lane. Traffic backed up into Braintree.

The problem was cleared up by the evening, Lt. David Wilson of the State Police said.

Furnace Brook Parkway in Quincy was closed Sunday night from Newport Avenue to Hancock Street after the parkway flooded. Quincy Shore Drive was shut down and smaller roads across the city were flooded, including the intersection at Ballou and Seymour streets.

In Holbrook, police closed North Shore Road near Beach Road and Abington Avenue, or Route 139, because of flooding.

A flood watch remained in effect for Plymouth, Norfolk and Bristol counties through this morning.

Wind gusts were as high as 67 mph Sunday morning, according to Blue Hill Observatory.

In Weymouth, a tree fell on a car Sunday morning at the Weymouth Commons apartment complex at 185 Mediterranean Ave., police said. Another tree fell across a power line at 502 Broad St., knocking live wires to the ground, Deputy Fire Chief Jonathan Tose said.

Page 3 of 3 - Wind knocked out power Saturday night and Sunday in Carver, Hanson, Marshfield, Norwell and other towns, according to police and fire officials.

About 30,000 homes statewide lost power Sunday, most of them on the South Shore and Cape Cod.

The South Shore will be waterlogged for days.

“Things won’t start drying out until Tuesday,” said Don McCasland, program director at the Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory. “Even if the rain stops on Monday, it’s still going to be cloudy, and it will take time for things to lose their moisture.”

Reporters Amy Littlefield and Maria Papadopoulos contributed to this report.